Witches in children's books

😂

Maybe the OP is busy reading some of the books recommended on this thread?

OldCrony

OP - could you name some children's books that you think portray witches in a less than favourable light?

Tumbleweed

Eh, come on. How about Snow White, Sleeping Beauty?
Anyway, witches in children's fiction have been portrayed in such a wide variety - good to evil, I don't think it's fair to say they are vilified and persecuted (in fiction).

I'm a bit disappointed that OP hasn't joined in much.

There's a lovely picture book by Kazuno Kohara called The Haunted House/ Ghosts in the House about a little witch who catches a load of ghosts haunting her new house and puts them in the washing machine. Really sweet and fun and magical.

The issue there of course was why Samantha was expected to hide her skills to bolster the fragile ego of numbskull Darrin.

Sabrina the Teenage Witch had the same failing.

[quote SadSongsAndWaltzes]This is a beautiful book about witches - both "good" but flawed and "bad" but sort of redeemable: www.goodreads.com/book/show/28110852-the-girl-who-drank-the-moon[/quote]
This just arrived! Looking forward to reading it with DD, thanks for the recommendation SadSongs

(Though most of it admittedly is).

I found this Guardian article all about stepmothers in fiction - it's not all bad news!

www.theguardian.com/books/2010/feb/03/sam-baker-stepmothers

Ooh thanks I'll check that out too

That looks really interesting, thanks Anna

If you have some time to spare and are interested in the history of the representation of witches over time this is a great podcast tracking how wtiches change from:

Evil consorts of Satan - could be male or female, doing supernatural things such as changing the weather
An excuse to just draw fun pictures about people doing rude things
Symbols of evil such as political powers it was too dangerous to talk about
And then in the 19th century all women, and dangerous sexual beings who are bewitching innocent men with their sexy sinful ways (these men had issues!)
Finally with female artists reclaiming the image in the 20th/21st century

artuk.org/discover/stories/art-matters-podcast-the-art-history-of-witches

Most of the children's books I remember had v helpful witches who were getting on with things. I've been more concerned looking back how much time I spent reading about princesses!

Agree with PPs there are loads of positive portrayals of witches and witchcraft. Don't think anyone mentioned Winnie the Witch yet but there are plenty of others, but Meg & Mog and Room on the Broom probably good places to start with very little ones.

What bothers me about kids stories (well one of the things ... how long have you got?!) is that goodness is associated with beauty and evil, wicked witches are usually ugly. Or worse, they appear beautiful when they are pretending to be good but actually they are ugly. And evil. Grrrr that does my head in.

There are so many shitty stereotypes and messages in stories I really wouldn't worry too much about witches.

But one thing that astounds me that many parents forget is that when kids are very little they can't read so you don't have to read the words on the page if you don't agree with them. Make the stories better.

Dh looked at me as the lights came up for intermission and said 'well you seem to be enjoying this ' and I said 'I hate it so much that I have literally been tuning it out and daydreaming ' - we walked out through the outdoor balcony exit (bar), and with a bunch of patrons staring on with their mouths agape in our fancy digs we hopped the rail (at the bottom) to make our 'escape'.

But in all fairness there are few musicals that I actually like (mostly rock opera movies - same for DH) so we're not the best critics for this arena.

oh come on. they're witches. in children's books.

I love The Witches and I'll tell you it's a glorious part to be cast as the Grand High Vitch!

The witch in Sondheim’s Into the Woods had a bit of a commentary on how they were misinterpreted.

Does anyone fancy having an online film night watching Practical Magic together? Followed by a discussion on the topic of witches? I watched it recently.........alone :(

Does anyone have Discord? Maybe Zoom? Because there are people with bad intentions that haunt these forms (HELLO BENJAMIN!!!)..............I think we should only use screen names and not give away personal information. I'd like to advertise is on the main thread but I'm scared that people will turn up to stir trouble. I don't know how these things work. I'd probably set up a group or virtual room and PM you a link or something like that. Suggestions how to make it pleasant and safe are welcome.

@ErrolTheDragon
@rbe78
@gingerbeerandlemonade
@Babdoc
@NewlyGranny
@Brandaris
@contactusdeletus
@hagsrus0
@ahagwearsapointybonnet
@WitchWife
@Miljea
@imissthesouth
@Gibbonsgibbonsgibbons
@Melroses
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@SadSongsAndWaltzes

I liked Pratchetts portrayal of witches - especially the fairy godmother/bad witch trope he explored with Lily and Esme Weatherwax

Most books I've read, the witches are powerful! I would say the opposite to your argument.

I used to love pretending to be a watch as a child in the 1980s.

Witches have always had a bad reputation, that is the nature of witchcraft accusations isn't it?

Witchcraft accusations have always been about getting revenge, land grabs, getting rid of burdensome elderly relatives or step children. Sometimes witchraft accusations are about consolidating political power and / or scapegoating minorites.

As an idea it's always existed against a historical background that defines how it's seen, morally speaking. The ancient pagans were very supersticious and really believed in magic, and practices divination and all sorts of other things, which may or may not have been meant for the general good. The early Christians didn't believe in magic and it was considered a heresy to do so, as it contradicted the idea of free will and was seen as illogical in a rational world. In the middle ages however there was some theological speculation that magic of some kind could be possible if an individual has transactions with demons. That remained controversial especially among Catholics - it caught on more with Protestants and in areas farther from centres of learning and hysteria and delusion was often a factor, some of which is comparable IMO to some of the mass hysteria we see in populations today - but obviously the idea of being involved with demons who are out to destroy humankind isn't likely to be viewed as positive. And there was an actual resurgence of interest in magic in the early modern period - for example in alchemy and similar endeavours, usually by the wealthy and powerful - which also fuelled some of this ill will and suspicion.

Most of the modern versions come out of 19th century romanticism and is more like the pre-Christian view, IMO.